


Empyrean

by Luna_Vadash



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Ghosts, Injury, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Near Death Experiences, True Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24161992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_Vadash/pseuds/Luna_Vadash
Summary: Absentis est quos non anhelo - the dead do not breathEzio Audotire thought that the only thing left to do was to kill the Pope. After that, his family would be finally revenge and his duty as an assassin fulfilled. That was until peculiar things started to happen in Florence. Were templars hunting him again? Or was it just a cruel joke of the fate? Ghosts existed only in the stories to scare little children, so why was woman, claiming she could see all those wandering spirits, so convincing?  And what was he supposed to do now? He was no ghost hunter, he had never believed in scary stories and monsters from under the bed, yet why he started to feel shiver down his spine every time he met that woman?
Relationships: Ezio Auditore da Firenze/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a native English speaker but I'm doing my best to improve! Forgive me mistakes and enjoy this story!

It was a beautiful day in Florence with a cloudless sky and warm sun rays shining on the wide streets full of people. Giant flower carts standing in strategic places were trying to overcome the smell of the Arno river. Everything in this city was beautiful and fancy like it was shouting for the whole world to hear that it’s wealthy and prosperous. She had no idea that the city had changed so much during her absence, and it was so much more amazing than she remembered it. It seemed to be even bigger, full of wonders out of this world. She didn’t remember seeing buildings as big and as beautiful as the ones now. Florence itself was like a true wonderland, not an average city she grown up in. Surprisingly she thought that it was good to be home. She came back only a week ago, after the death of her dearest aunt, who was raising her instead of her parents. Flora knew the exact reason why they sent her away, but now, forced to live again in Florence, she was trying to act normal, trying to pretend to be normal. It was hard, considering the fact, that among all those people walking around the main square she could see ephemeral almost transparent figures flowing in the air.  
Spirits, lost souls, ghosts of the dead bounded to this world by their unfinished businesses, anger, sadness, love, curses, desires and other unknown reasons. And she was able to see all of them, suffering and longing for the lost life. She took a deep breath and looked down, trying to focus on a book, she was reading but the urge to listen and watch people around was too big for her to resist. She rose her gaze again to devour the view. She missed people, being surrounded by a loud, colourful crowd of warm, material bodies. There weren’t too many people in the countryside she lived so she used to spend a lot of time with her aunt and ghosts, even when they travelled it was only to helped trapped souls of the damned. It was a good life, noble but lonely. She felt surprisingly good seeing all those people of Florence, even if she wasn’t part of any group. But who knows, maybe she will be able to make some living friends? Unfortunately, among all those people she had seen at least three ghosts and she didn’t want to drag their attention, not yet anyway, she was supposed to act normal, and talking with ghosts didn’t belong to that category. Soon she noticed two girls sitting close to her, the wore beautiful red dresses, and their hair was braided into complicated plaits. For sure they were rich aristocrats, it was visible in their gestures, way of talking, and the clothes they wore. But their voices were nice to listen, so she focused on them. They were discussing men and all their assets; who is the most handsome, rich, influential. And among different names, there was one that particularly took her attention. She had no idea who was Cesare Borgia, but that name was truly interesting. As far as she heard he was rich and important, a man holding great power, perfect party for aristocratic ladies, right? And he was unmarried. Flora smiled to herself, trying to imagine a man from their description, she had no idea if he was young or old, but he had to be very handsome, otherwise, those women wouldn’t be talking about him with that amount of excitement.

  
“Oh my God, Ezio is back?” one of them suddenly asked nervously, changing the topic of their conversation and reaching for her perfect hair, trying to make it even better. The second one was no less amazed by this whole Ezio, so Flora decided to see that object of their new fascination. She followed their gazes and saw a handsome man in amazing, white robes, who was walking down the street with a smile on his face and confidence emanating from him like he was the most important person in this city. But what caught her attention was not him nor a woman he was talking to. These two were surrounded by death, ghosts were following them closely, looking at them with pure desperation. Both ghosts were shimmering with dimmed light, but one of them had a glimpse of redness in his form. For a short second her gaze crossed with one of the ghosts and on that moment, she knew she was screwed. She looked away quickly, but it was already too late, as soon both of them stopped following the pair and looked at her with confusion and hope.

  
“You can see us, right?” she heard a voice, nervous, shaking and seemingly distant.  
She ignored it, focusing on her book. Rarely this technique had worked, but it was always worth a try. She gasped loudly when a pale face emerged from pages of her lecture. The white, shimmering figure sat on a bench, crossing his arms in front of him, and looking at her with a piercing gaze. It was a ghost of a young man, confident, handsome, hopeful. He frowned when girl ignored him, pretending not to see him.

  
“I’m sure she can see us,” she heard the voice of the second ghost, who was approaching her slowly and soon stand right next to her, bending a little to reach her ear.  
“Don’t be afraid, dear. Nod if you can see us, we will not hurt you,” he promised softly. She sighed deeply, and again she put her book down on her laps, slowly stroking the hardcover of it, like a treasure, thinking about what to do. She wanted to ignore them, pretend to be normal, but she couldn’t. They were trapped, probably unaware of their state, and she wanted to help them. She was too kind-hearted to ignore such suffering, so in the end, ghosts could see a slight nod of her head.  
Suddenly she took her book and turned on her heel to walk away, fortunately, both ghosts followed her closely, she could feel that cold, piercing, intense sensation that was sending shivers down her spine. Years ago, she hoped that one day she will get used to that feeling but that never happened. Even now she felt tense and cold when ghosts were close to her. They were emanating with coolness, making her skin tingle and all those tiny hair rises.

  
She was walking fast through Florence, looking for a perfect spot to talk with ghosts, she didn’t want to attract attention, people weren’t too lenient when it comes to “talking with oneself”, that was causing too many problems which she couldn’t afford to make one right now.  
It had taken some time but, in the end, she finally found a place, peaceful and quiet, unfortunately, near the cemetery. That shouldn’t be suspicious even if someone would catch her talking to the grave, in the end, people have dealt with mourning in different ways. She sat on a little, stone bench near the entrance before she looked at ghosts, ready to hear their wishes.  
“Everyone ignores us! Acting like we’re not even here! Why are they doing this?” the younger man was a bit irritated; he couldn’t understand what was going on. The second ghost frown, nodding his head in agreement. They both stood before her, visibly demanding an explanation, answer that would help them understand what had been happening to them all this time.  
“Let’s start from the beginning,” she started slowly, calmly. She should tell them the truth, but gently, not to scare or upset them. But was there any gentle way to tell them that?  
“I’m very sorry to be the one telling you this but… people around cannot see you because you are… dead.”  
It was far too easy for ghosts to turn into evil spirits and she was still seeing that glimpse of redness in the older man. She had to be careful with that one, but at the same time truth had to be spoken first. She was w bit nervous about their reaction, she had seen plenty of ghost’s outburst, it was very dangerous. At the same time, it was very common for ghosts to not be aware of their death and those two were no exception. They were equally confused by her words, probably took it as a joke before sudden realization hit them like a wrecking ball. In the end – that explained everything.  
“Uberto. That cursed traitor!” the older man shouted, making woman shiver a little by this sudden outburst. The man swung his hand out of anger at the fence of the cemetery, but his hand went straight through it, proving that he was no more but a spirit.

  
“Calm down, calm down!” she asked, standing for a moment and looking him straight in the eyes. “whatever happened it’s too late. Please, calm down, you don’t want to hurt anyone, do you?” she hoped there was no panic in her voice, but she was the nearest living being and didn’t want to end up wounded or dead. Angry ghosts were dangerous!  
Fortunately, that worked, for now, and the ghost took a deep breath, or at least he looked like doing so. It was a cruel fate to become a ghost trapped in a merciless world, sentenced for almost eternal banishment, but since now she was here, they both had a chance to find their salvation and peace.  
“My name is Flora and I can help you go to the other side. You cannot stay here so we must find what is binding you to this world. What are your names?”  
“Where are our manners?! Mi dispiace, Bella. I’m Federico Auditore da Firenze”  
“And I’m his father, Giovanni Auditore da Firenze. I’m very sorry for my outburst”

  
Both of them bowed elegantly like true noblemen before deciding to sit next to her on that little stone bench, making her shiver a little bit more. She hated when ghosts decided to stay too close, but she couldn’t do anything about that. Ghosts were thinking and seeing the world differently from the living ones and were completely unaware of that fact. Dealing with them was more like trying to solve a very fragile yet dangerous mystery, one mistake and everything would be destroyed.  
“That’s fine. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she started politely, as she was taught. She had to restrain her emotions, keep calm. “So now focus, please. Usually, there are a few things that can keep people from moving further. Lack of proper burial, unfinished businesses and objects or people holding important memories. We are near the cemetery, so I suggest looking for your graves. Or… maybe you know what can keep you here?”

  
“You don’t seem to be surprised by us. Is it… an ordinary situation for you?” Federico asked nicely, couldn’t help his curiosity. In the end, she was a woman, she was supposed to look pretty and take care of the house and her future husband, not roam the city and talking with ghosts. Yet frown, looking closely at her form, without a doubt he would be interested in her if they met in different circumstances. Surprisingly, for now, he was simply lost, not sure what to do. Yes, after his father outburst he remembered the fear, voice and sudden sharp pain that ended so quick…  
“You are not the first ghosts I’m seeing nor the first one I’m going to help. So please, focus. I don’t want to be rude, but you have to cross over as far as possible, being here is dangerous both for you and people in the city” she tried to explain the situation for them.

  
“I don’t know, bella, what might keep me here. I don’t know what happened to our bodies after…” Federico sent her a wanly smile, before standing up. Giovanni looked at her, lost deep in his thoughts. He followed her on the cemetery but didn’t speak until she stopped near the little white tomb, probably one of a little kid.  
“I don’t remember. I mean I remember things but not everyone. I feel like my memories are shattered into pieces and I cannot focus on them. How can I know what keeps me here?” that was a valid point that made her stop again, this time near some very old, forgotten grave.

  
“I am not a specialist Giovanni and my theory probably have a lot of holes but ghosts I met usually had parts of their memories back after we found some kind of a trigger. For example, after seeing a grave they remembered how they died or after seeing a family member they remembered the feeling towards them, secrets they shared. What do you know about yourself right now?”  
“My name, my wife, Maria, my three children Federico, Ezio and Claudia. I was an assassin, lived by the creed but I don’t remember anything else.”  
She nodded, sending him a comforting smile. Assassin? Creed? She had no clue what he was talking about, but ghosts couldn’t lie so she could only accept that that information.

“Don’t worry Giovanni, you will have your memory back”  
There were no people in the cemetery, so she felt quite comfortable while talking with a ghost, wandering around the cemetery. As much as she liked being surrounded by people, she never actually fit among them. It was so difficult to keep her ability hidden from others and while being among ghosts, she preferred to be alone. Soon she got distracted and, lost in thoughts, she wandered around, looking at all those names, craved in murmur and granite. So many dead people, she wondered how many of them were waiting for a judgment day or different medium, ready to help. Fate was really cruel, and the worst part was that there was nothing to do to avoid it. Giovanni was following her, looking around, he seemed to be calmer right now. red shimmer almost completely disappeared.  
She stopped, when she heard Federico shouting at them, claiming, he had found the grave they were looking for. It was a dirty and quite old tomb with dusty letters forming into names Giovani Auditore, Federico Auditore, Petruccio Auditore – three men… no, not men. Two men and a child. She frowned, looking at the inscription and soon she turned to look at the ghosts, standing still next to her. There were only two of them, was it possible that only the child went to the other side? She really hoped so because spirits of children were the worst and she didn’t want to deal with it. She was going to ask Giovanni since he told her that he had 3 children, was it possible that he had forgotten one of them?  
“Traitors are not worth remembering”  
She turned suddenly only to face an old man, local undertaker probably. He was supporting himself on a shovel, partly dipped in the ground. His look was glued to the names on the grave. The man was old, wrinkled, but his eyes were still bright and penetrating. He watched her appraisingly, but there was madness, anger hidden deep in his soul, that was now showing in his eyes. Flora ignored every alarming bell, that rang in her body only to asked him.  
“Do you know who they were?”  
“Auditores? Of course, everyone knows them! Those three were hanged twenty years ago for treason, their bodies have never been found. It’s not even a true grave, more like memorial made by Giovanni’s boy. The only one who survived, but he very rarely visits Florence nowadays”  
“Treason? Oh, god, that’s terrible!” she said honestly. That would explain a lot since sudden death was the main reason for people to have unfinished businesses and traitors were usually objects of vengeance.  
“Don’t regret the dead, girl. And go home, a lone woman shouldn’t visit the graveyard on her own. Run.” he said darkly and quickly tear out the shovel from the ground, making Flora jump away. His dark laughter was hunting, so she turned around, determined to run away as far as possible, but both ghosts blocked her path.  
“We aren’t traitors! That was guile! Templar’s scum wanted us dead because we are the only ones who could stop them from fulfilling the prophecy!” Giovanni was again angry, and his redness became more visible, he was furious, ready to break something or someone.  
“Father, calm down, you are scaring her!” Federico stood in front of him, trying to put some sense into him. Again, the man calmed down, ashamed of his behaviour.  
“Signore, signore! Please wait, can you tell me more about those Auditores?” she shouted, running after that scary undertaker. She was almost terrified of him, but no living person could match an evil spirit. She would rather deal with him than with Giovanni.  
“You poor, stupid girl. There is nothing more. Their home is standing empty, the family moved out of Florence and my patience is running low. And you don’t want to wake up the dead with your reckless screaming and inquisitiveness, do you?” now this man became even scarier and dangerous. His voice was more like a roar, deep and piercing. That man was far from being normal and his unfounded anger was terrifying. This time she had no intention to push his patience more and just run away, as he told her. Why she had always met crazy people? Dead or alive – it didn’t matter, she just had no luck with people in general and what was more, she felt that that man will haunt her in nightmares.  
“You are not buried here!” she said, when she finally stopped running away, her breath was sharp and quick, voice hoarse. She needed a few moments to calm down and gather her thoughts. They were not buried properly, but somehow, she felt that it wasn’t the source of their problems, after twenty years there wouldn’t be much left of their bodies anyway. There were so much more hidden in their past, she was sure of it after seeing the second outburst of Giovanni. Somehow, she felt that ghosts in front of her had never had normal lives.  
“Templar’s scum, prophecy, assassins. I have no idea what those are, but it seems that they are the cause of your strong feelings. What about you Federico?”  
The younger man looked at her confused, not sure about this. Those words were awakening some strange feelings, faded memories inside him but he didn’t feel like it was actually a cause of his confinement. There was something more, someone. He could see that blurred outline of a woman in a long dress, but he couldn’t remember her name of features. He answered by shaking his head gently, he didn’t know.

  
“Signorina, what about our home? We lived here before the accident, maybe that place will help us?”  
“Good idea, Giovanni,” she said, allowing the ghost to take a lead. She had no idea where their house could be, but it looked like older Auditore remembered the place. She wondered if there were still people living there. If Ezio, his son, was out of Florence, then the house could be sold to support the family. Or Giovanni’s wife could still live there. She could expect a lot of things about that place but be heavily guarded was not one of them. Near the entrance of the house, there were two men with long, sharp swords, few more were positioned nearby. Those mercenaries look tough and merciless, even in her dreams she couldn’t possibly stand a chance again even one of them. She looked at ghosts with wide eyes and turned on her hill, deciding to stay away from that house, every part of her body was screaming that going in there was dangerous.

  
“It wasn’t guarded when we lived there…” Federico seemed to be worried while looking at the building, he grew up in. This place was holding every memory he would need to become free, but could he expose that girl to a danger?  
“Well, that makes it complicated and I would rather avoid those people and their swords. I should go with you because there may be a need for me to take something for you, if any of you is bounded to an object, I must destroy it. So, the only option is probably to wait until the evening and came back when it’ll be dark.”  
“We will find a place for you to slip through” Giovanni offered, sending the woman a smile. He was calmer now, more peaceful but Flora could see that redness in his form was no less visible, quite on contrary. That red glimpse was even more noticeable, Giovanni didn’t have much time left. But those guards… She would lie by telling she wasn’t afraid. She was terrified, put between the devil and the deep blue sea. She couldn’t fight guards nor leave a ghost behind since they could start haunting her, so there was no “good” option for her. The only thing she actually could do, was trying to break into that house, go in stealth and run away as quickly as possible, hiding in the darkness. She had no idea if it’d work, but she had to try, Giovanni’s redness was a sign of impending disaster.

Evening came far too soon for her. It was dark outside but now she had needed equipment that included dark cape with a hood, some salt, flints and an iron chain for protection. She also had a dagger, but it was against the living being, in case she had to protect herself in combat, what she would rather avoid.

  
Hidden behind some bushes, she was waiting for Federico and Giovanni to return to her with information on how was she supposed to slip into that house. She had to do it quietly and fast, guard that was standing near the front doors looked rather dangerous with his shining sword and a torch in his hand, to scatter the darkness around. He was quite tall and very buffy, it was obvious that his muscles carried a great strength, Flora was no match for a person like them. He could break her in two without even putting effort.

  
“There is a window on the first floor that’s not locked. If you manage to lure guard away you will be able to slip in” Federico appeared so suddenly behind her, that she jumped and shot him an angry look. She wanted to tell him again not to appear so suddenly; in this one day he did it thrice already, but it was no use right now. She had to be quiet now.

  
Flora moved from her place, going in the right direction until Federico gestured her to stop and pointed at the window that should be unlocked. She bit her lip, even scarier guard was standing there, he looked tired and annoyed, while leaning against the wall with half-closed eyes. Flora decided to improvise a little and took a round rock in her hand just to throw it in the direction of a guard. He flinched at the sound it made and looked around, searching any intruders but in the end, he didn’t move from his post. The woman looked around and found a little wooden stall, standing next to the opposite building. Probably someone was using that for selling vegetables or some trinkets. She picked up another stone and aimed at this stall. She wasn’t sure how big or durable it was, but she certainly didn’t expect that the stone will hit one of the supporting stakes, causing the construction to collapse. Giovanni looked at her disapprovingly, he never supported destroying other people properties and was about to give her a lecture on proper behaving but when the alarmed guard went to investigate, she rushed to the window. She struggled a little to open it, the mechanism got a bit rusty, but in the end, she managed to slip in and close the window again.

  
“You should not destroy that stand, Flora! What if it was the only source of money for a family or…”  
“I didn’t do it or purpose! I just wanted to lure that guard away!” she said, trying to defend herself and stayed calm, but Giovanni only shook his head crossing arms on his chest. It was clear that he had a lot of misbehaving children. She rolled her eyes and took out one candle to light her way around. She went on the first floor, where the family used to live and but stopped midstep, looking around. This place was beautiful, even if it was dark inside. Beautiful paintings were decorating walls and the furniture looked so expensive. After taking a closer look she could recognise willow wood and amazing decorations, inlays of ivory and gold. No wonder that this place was guarded! She was probably in the main room because there was a table made of dark wood with caryatids supporting its weight; around were standing sgabellos, excellently made chairs with patterns so rich that it reminded her of endless circles of water crashing with each other. There were also big mirrors with golden frames, she saw in one her own reflection and her lips twitched at the sight. She was standing in the dusty, dark and abandon room, wearing a black cape, with a candle in one hand surrounded by ghosts. She chuckled darkly, how ironic! She was aristocrat, she should be sleeping in her room, waiting for a new day to come and shine bright like a diamond, attract men, make them lose their minds for her and only her, how life could be so strange, to put that curse on her and change everything?

  
“Where do you want to look for? Federico? Giovanni?”  
“I want to go to my room,” said Federico, showing her staircase again and leading her to his room. She wasn’t surprised to see the big, richly decorated room of a young aristocrat. She looked around with visible curiosity, most of the furniture were hidden under white cloaks to prevent dust from gathering.  
“You never could keep this place tidy” she heard Giovanni sigh and laughed a little, seeing as Federico rolled his eyes theatrically. But he started looking around and Flora soon joined him, putting a candle on a holder. She opened one of the drawers, looking at different papers. She even found a journal and frowned, she wanted to read it, curious about what secrets could be hidden in it. She had no intention of using it against anyone, it was just undying inquisitiveness. She opened it and soon Federico was next to her.  
“I was looking for it! Yes!” he said enthusiastically, trying to grab the book. His hand went straight through it, causing him to groan. Flora turned pages for him to see the most recent notes and soon it was clear what probably kept him here. A woman.

  
“Gabrielle… I remember now! I wanted to court her, I… I bought a necklace for her as a gift. I was supposed to give it to her, we were…we wanted to meet on that day but they…” Federico looked frantically around like he was about to panic. Giovanni looked at his son before he reached for his arm and shook him by it. The sudden realisation must have hit him now, he looked so fragile and sad, desperation was emanating from his cold form. Flora couldn’t do much to help him, whoever was, she probably moved on if she was alive.

  
“Flora can find that necklace, right?”  
“It’s probably somewhere here,” she assured him, starting look for it. She opened every drawer, chest and wardrobe, finding some more papers, coins, trinkets, and some strange plans and maps, even weapons! In the end, she found a little box with a gold necklace that was sitting hidden under one of his many pillows on the bed. She opened a box to make sure that it’s the piece of jewellery she was looking for and showed it to Federico, who again tried to grab it but yet again he failed. The necklace was made of milky pearls and would suit perfectly every lady, even Flora was impressed with it, she rarely had seen so nice jewellery. That Gabrielle would be one of the luckiest women in Florence if Federico was still alive. A pity that fate was so cruel.  
“I need to see Gabrielle, I want her to have it, to remember me, can you do it, Flora? I beg you I have to make sure…” he said quietly with shaking voice, looking at her like a broken man. Flora nodded in response, giving him a warm smile.

  
“If this will help you find your peace, then of course! I know it must be hard for you but… I’m so sorry Federico,” she said quietly, hiding the box in her bag.  
“Now, Giovanni, where should we look for your cause? Bedroom? Other room?”“No. I remember, my dear, who I am. Or I should probably say who I was. I need you to open a secret room in my office, something tells me that there is something important.” He said, pointing her direction. She didn’t quite understand why he needed a secret room but who was she to judge? She just went back on the lowest floor trying to be noiseless, entered Giovanni’s office and stood in front of a plain wall with painting on it, seeing nothing unusual about this place. Just a simple room with bookstand and a big desk.

  
“This, Flora. You have to push and turn this painting, then the entrance will open”  
“Will it be loud? I don’t want the guard to hear it”  
“No, it couldn’t be loud, that would drag unwanted attention”

  
After turning the painting, the wall moved itself, opening another room in front of them. It was a little space with a golden chest in front of the entrance. At the top of it was a strange symbol she couldn’t recognise, but it probably had a meaning, maybe even an important one? Flora opened that chest, but it was completely empty. She frowned, turning to face bookshelves near the wall. She loved literature, so that place took her interest immediately. Her eyes caught the attention of the same strange symbol as in the chest on several books. She took one of them to take a better look.  
“Take it” she heard a silent whisper of Federico. She obeyed, putting it in her bag and took another that was pointed to her by him. She would never miss the opportunity to gain some knowledge. She smiled at the ghost and turned around to face Giovanni. And that was a mistake. His appearance was changing, he was turning red, anger was emanating from his form, the temperature in the room dropped drastically and soon everything began to shake a little.

  
“He took it. Ezio took everything, documents that were supposed to compromise De’ Pazzi Family. Yet they had won that battle and now I am dead! Federico is dead, my little Petruccio is dead, Ezio and Claudia are no longer here and my wife, my love she’s…” he didn’t finish, letting himself drown in anger and sadness that filled him like a poison.

Suddenly every lying object rose from its place, picked up by cold, strong wind that surrounded Giovanni’s ghost. Objects started to fly around the room, making Flora step back to the office again. The situation there was no better, everything was flying, crashing with each other, hitting walls, shelves, mirrors. A paperweight hit the window so hard that the glass had broken into hundreds of tiny shards, that were soon lifted but the same force that caused everything else to move.

  
“Giovanni, calm down, calm the fuck down!” she screamed. Trying to hide somewhere from that flying objects, but it was no use. She could only try to protect her face with hands, while the ghost was slowly falling into despair. Federico was terrified and was just looking at his father, screaming to him to calm down. Outside the guards were alarmed by the sounds of crashing objects and braking glass, when another window turned into pieces. But one who got closer was almost immediately hit with a big, heavy pyxis, straight in the head, causing him to fall in the ground.

  
“Giovanni, if you don’t calm down you will turn into the evil spirit! You will never see your family ever again!” she screamed at the man, trying to make him pay attention to her words. “This is your last chance, soon it will be too late! Don’t do it to your family!” she screamed from the top of her lungs, knowing that if she survives this, her voice would turn hoarse later, but it didn’t matter. She tried to get close to Giovanni, but she couldn’t avoid every flying object and soon something hit her back, making her fall on the ground. A piece of glass cut one of her hands.  
“Giovanni!”

  
Ghost looked at her terrified, still fulfilled with sorrow and anger, but seeing blood on her hand, that was now marking the carpet made him lose it all. Everything dropped on the floor as he fell to his knees, hiding face in hands, weeping desperately. Flora rose from the floor and came closer, squatting in front of him.

  
“Giovanni, it’s fine, I promise! Let’s go, guards are coming!” she said, before running from the office. She jumped over the unconscious guard and run towards the entrance that was now open only to crash with another man. His grip tightened on her wrist painfully.

  
“You little thief!” her started, but the woman still with adrenaline in her veins, took her dagger and hit him in the head with its hilt. It was strong enough to make man loosen his grip but not enough to knock him out, so she just decided to run, run for her life, like she was being hunted down by the devil himself.

  
Fortunately for her, it was dark, so she could soon hide from the man, as he was not in sight anymore. Probably he saw his companion and decided to take care of him, maybe he was shocked by the mess Giovanni crated. Either way, she managed to run away and hid between buildings. Her heart was beating so fast, she was afraid that soon she would get a heart stroke. Fortunately, the adrenaline started fading away slowly from her veins, making her breath steadier. But while her body was calming down, the pain found its way in, she hissed feeling stinging in her cut hand. Blood was dripping from her fingers, but she had nothing to dress the wound with.  
“I’m so sorry, Flora. You showed us so much mercy and I… I…”

  
“Don’t mention it, Giovanni. You’re in a very… peculiar situation, I’m aware that controlling emotions may be hard for both of you, just… you must try to keep calm. Next time there may be no going back for you. If you turn into an evil spirit, I will have to kill you and that will not give you any guarantee that your soul will be saved” she explained slowly, trying to make her point. It was too important to ignore it, especially that Giovanni was already and the verge of breaking. Ghost nodded in response, letting her show them the way to her home.  
She had her room on the first floor but the whole wall was covered in some green bush that allowed her to enter and leave through the window. She jumped into her room, closed window and put the bag down on the floor. She felt so tired right now!

  
Giovanni looked at her worried and guilty, Federico was strangely silent. Flora ignored them both and soon hide her cloak, weapon and throw her bag under the bed. She commanded the ghosts to close their eyes when she stripped and changed into her sleeping gown. Then she cleaned her hands and with big relief, she found out that her wound was superficial. Unfortunately, it was this place that hurt, but she could endure it. She was lucky that as an aristocrat, she could wear gloves without any suspicion!  
“I am so sorry, Flora, forgive me” Giovanni’s voice was silent and lenient. He was a very composed man and he didn’t quite understand what had changed about it, where all those emotions came from and influenced him it the most brutal way, making him lost him equanimity.  
“Please… just don’t think about it. I must sleep now, but we will talk tomorrow, make a new plan. Just take under your consideration that other people cannot see or hear you, so try not to make me look weird in front of them. My mother is already not too happy about my presence here and I don’t want to cross that border.”  
Both ghosts agreed on her terms and let her sleep. Flora had no idea that right now a messenger was rushing to Monteriggioni to inform Ezio Auditore about an intruder, who had broken into his home and destroyed his father office.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again Marshie, my dear, thank you so so much for everything <3

He knew part of his palazzo in Florence had been destroyed, but he still couldn’t believe what he saw. It looked like a warzone. The desk and chairs had been lying around, some with broken legs, papers and scrolls were scattered everywhere along with different trinkets like paperweights, coal, feathers, destroyed paintings. Glass from broken windows was shining on the grass and inside the room, there were scratches on walls and every flat surface, like someone, was cutting everything blindly with a knife. And the worst part was that entrance for his father’s secret room was opened and the mechanism broken. Even that room was a mess, the chest was knocked over, books were torn, laying around. Whoever did this have no respect for anything. It looked like there was no single thing that was left untouched. And Ezio? He felt like he was drowning in a pure anger.

Because of memories of his family and cruel fate that had touched his father and brothers he never dared to even walk near his palazzo and now here he was, for the first time in so many years, looking at the remains of his legacy. He was so upset that he wanted to throw or hit something, but everything had been already done. He could only stare for a few more seconds, feeling as though his heart was beating unnaturally fast in his chest. He felt the same dark anger that he felt on the day he killed Vieri. Now he wanted to find the person responsible for this and make them pay.  
Before he left, he decided to walk around his home with the hope he would be able to bring some things back to Tuscany. Claudia would be happy to have her dresses back. Maria would love paintings she ordered from Leonardo, right? He called two guards and ordered them to pack things he would point to them to the carriage. 

Then he walked into Federico’s room, which was messy as always. Federico never made much effort to keep his place clean and that had always made the servants upset. But now drawers and cupboards were opened, trinkets on shelves knocked over, crumpled blankets were thrown on the floor with all the pillows. Someone had been looking for something and Ezio had no idea why they chose that room. Why Federico? He didn’t keep here anything important nor valuable, no money, no codex pages, no nothing. Then why this room was devastated? And why was it different than his father's room? He furrowed his eyebrow, trying to guess what the intruder was looking for, but he couldn’t find anything except noticeable differences in destruction. This room looked like it had been searched by a person, while the office looked like it had been invaded by a tornado.

But no matter those differences… Ezio was sure he had to find the one responsible and punish this person so no one in the whole of Italy would dare to cause any harm to his family ever again!  
He left the guards to pack the remaining things, including all of his father belongings, especially some books that may be of importance. He was supervising all of this personally, with crossed arms, thinking about what he was supposed to do next. He couldn’t find any clues; any signs and he hadn’t heard about any Templars remaining in Florence. His enemy stayed undetected but Ezio was sure it wouldn’t take long. He had his men here – prostitutes and thieves. They had their ways of finding out everything that was supposed to stay hidden. 

“Templars are becoming more and more insolent.” 

Ezio to turned around surprised to see Niccolò Machiavelli, his friend and ally. He raised his eyebrow, looking at the younger man, who was staring into a broken door to Giovanni’s office.

“I thought there were no more Templars in Firenze.”

“There shouldn’t be any. But they are a disease hard to eradicate, we need to stay vigilant for our own sake.” 

As always, he was focused and careful. His eyes were scanning his surroundings in search of clues, threats and knowledge hidden in the darkest and deepest spots of the city. 

"I started to search for information as soon as I learnt about this misfortunate incident. Ask the guards what they had witnessed and then return to me. I expect to have some information until then." 

Machiavelli walked away, disappearing into the crowd of people, blending in with them. Ezio took a few more minutes to make sure everything was packed properly and then he walked to the guards to question them. They were the only witnesses of this situation and, for now, his only source of intel. 

None of the guards looked good, although one was in a visibly worse state than the other. His forehead was swollen, one eye dark and bruised, he had scratches around his face. The second guard had only one bruise on his temple. Both of them lowered their gaze the moment Ezio stood in front of them. 

"What happened. Who did this? Tell me everything." he ordered.

"It was... it... I don't know messere. I heard a noise and went to investigate. Before I reached the room, something was thrown through the window and hit my head. I don't remember anything else," said the man with all those wounds. He looked ashamed and Ezio wondered how that could happen. The man in front of him was no weak, tiny boy. He was a large, strong man, one that people would instinctively avoid at any cost. With such grave injuries, it had to be the work of a well-trained Templar.

"I saw a woman. I also went to investigate those noises and saw Piero laying on the ground with a bleeding head. That woman ran through the door and I tried to catch her. Then she hit my head with something, a knife probably. It was hard enough for me to let go of her. She took the opportunity and run away, and because I couldn’t see her anywhere, I decided to take care of Piero’s wounds and finding someone who would deliver a message to you… messere.” 

Ezio furrowed his eyebrows even more, confused and surprised. Since when had templars been using women for their own purpose? In those few years of constant fighting and hunting for Templars, he had never once met a woman on their side. 

"What did she look like? Do you remember?"

"It was dark, messere. I couldn't see anything" 

Ezio nodded and let the guards go back to their duties, while he went back to Machiavelli. He was talking with someone but stopped the same moment he saw Ezio.  
"What did you learn?"

"It was a woman, but guards couldn't tell me more" 

He was equally surprised, because, quite simply, Templars didn't accept women into their folds. At least unless there was a woman born into the order. Though still, they preferred to move them away from all the important matters. Maybe they were afraid of treason from their side? Of them being too weak to handle such power. But if they suddenly changed their mind and trained women… she could be far more dangerous than any other Templar. Whoever she was, she knew exactly what she was looking for and how to blend in. People didn’t really pay attention to women, since they had no political power nor influence; but as for her… She was a figure they couldn’t ignore.

"What did you find out Machiavelli?"

"There was a woman in the cemetery asking the undertaker about your family. He confessed that she was interested in their deaths, the reasons behind it and the persons who did this. She also looked for their bodies and then she left." He took a deep breath, pacing around like he was thinking intensively about something. It wasn’t everything. “The undertaker is a peculiar man, he told us to stay away from that woman for our own sake. He seemed to be serious about it but couldn’t tell more. Although he shared a description of her look. You need to look for a woman about this high," he showed that she was allegedly reaching Ezio's shoulder, maybe a bit higher or lower. It was the average size for women in Florence. “She had grey, very pale eyes and red hair. She may seem average, but he said that after one look in her eyes we should know it’s her. That’s all.”

Ezio immediately sent thieves into the city, telling them to look for a woman with red hair and pale, grey eyes; that was all he could do for now. 

The only thing left for him to do was to wait patiently. Ezio couldn't force himself to go back to his old home again. There were too many memories, and it wasn't the right time to drown into them. He needed a clear head and a calm conscious to survive that woman, the enemy he didn't know. Whoever she was, she was going to fall just like the rest of her Order. It didn't matter if she was new or veteran in their folds, being part of this organization meant that she contributed to the death of his family. 

Since he couldn't go back home just yet, he decided to stroll around the city, visiting some other places. But the very first place he went to was Palazzo di Vespucci, Cristina's home. He wandered around, finding only closed doors and dark windows. He sighed involuntarily. She was his first love, the woman he hoped to marry many years ago but now it was just a painful memory of another life he had lost.  
Another place he went was the roof of a church he climbed with Federico, the day before his death. He still remembered his words: "It's a good life we have, brother. May it never change and may it never change us." 

He sat on the roof, looking at the city he once loved so much. Longing for the life he led here. He never expected Firenze to become so alien and obnoxious. This wasn't his home anymore and he needed to make peace with this thought. Otherwise, he would never be able to truly move on. 

He took a deep breath, smelling all those familiar scents. Heavy perfumes of rich ladies, flowers at the riverside, the smell of wine and cooked meat. He felt like the memories flooded him, taking away his breath and leaving him vulnerable for a few long minutes. His whole life turned upside down and yet the city stayed exactly the same, exactly as he remembered it. Did he mean so little to Firenze that the city stayed untouched by his tragedy? 

When he opened his eyes again it was getting dark and he needed to rest before the next day. But since he still couldn't force himself to go home, he went straight to Paola's bordello. There he met a welcoming, warm embrace of the beautiful Paola and soon he got lost in the pleasure offered by her girls. Oblivion was very welcome in a moment like this.  
The new day welcomed him with loud knocks on his door that snatched him out of his sleep. Two women lying beside him moaned and moved, freeing him from their embrace. Ezio put on his trouser and still half-naked opened the door, to see Paola with a breakfast.

“Buongiorno, Ezio. I believe you slept well.” She walked inside the room and put a tray with food on a table. Then she loudly clapped her hands, waking the girls on his bed. “Wake up, ladies, it’s time for work! Clean yourself and prepare for customers!”

None of the women protested when Paola commanded them to leave, so soon Ezio was alone, still trying to tie his shirt before breakfast. Before he knew it, Paola’s hands found his and she nimbly tied his shirt. 

“Thank you, Paola, for your hospitality.’

Almost a week passed, and there had been no trace of the woman. It was as if she never existed. Ezio grew more and more impatient, and anger built up every time he looked towards his home. He searched Florence for clues himself, concentrating mainly on observing the main quarters and squares. And on Sunday he even tried to do something that he did not expect of himself. On Sunday he went to Church for Mass, hoping that he would find a woman there, among other believers. However, he left disappointed and irritated.  
It wasn't until the next day when he was sitting on the roof of one of the taller buildings, that the news reached him. The young thief appeared on the roof; it was obvious that he had run all the way up there because he was out of breath. However, his face was radiant and joyful as it was he who had the honour of notifying Ezio of the information he had gathered with his group.  
The woman they were looking for was in Florence and she had finally made a mistake.

A dozen or so minutes ago she met the former beloved of Federico - Camilla. She introduced herself as Flora Auditore, Federico's cousin and friend, but Camilla refused to listen to her. Flora tried to convince her to talk about the eldest of the Auditore brothers but to no avail. What's more, Camilla's husband showed up after a while and Flora had to withdraw.  
And now she was being followed by thieves.

Ezio was glad to hear the news and immediately ran after the young boy to join the rest of the group of thieves. He was finally approaching the goal he had been trying to achieve for a week. When he was finally led to the west side of town, near the river, he was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected a woman this far from downtown. But she seemed to stay aloof, and now she was walking around, near the ramparts, looking on her left side, like she was searching for something there. 

“You did well. I will manage to do it myself from here, you can report to Machiavelli and tell him we will meet at Paola’s place,’ he told the thieves, letting them go. It was a one-man job and Ezio didn’t want any public attention.

He waited until he was alone and decided to follow the woman until she reached a place where he could trap her. 

Watching her from a distance, Ezio could see some details. Her hair was red like the flames that danced in the fireplace on chilly days. She looked nice in a blue dress and long braid, but Ezio wasn't about to be fooled by her charm. He waited patiently, like a hunter, a wild beast lurking on prey. And when the opportunity finally presented, he didn't hesitate. He jumped nimbly off the roof, landing noiselessly on the ground and waited for the woman to come closer so he could pull her into the alley. He was still watching her closely. It was then that he noticed that she was holding a book with silver assassin symbol on its cover in her hands. Ezio saw it several times in his father's study, he knew this text. The discovery almost upset him, and a new wave of anger rose in his heart, obscuring his mind for a few moments.

As soon as the right moment came, Ezio grabbed her arm and, accompanied by a groan, pulled her into the alley, where he pushed her against the wall. Her back crashed against the cold bricks and a pained moan escaped her throat. Before she could react, Ezio trapped her hands above her head, squeezed her body against the wall, and pressed the blade to her throat. She felt the sharp edge pressing against her collarbone, digging into the delicate skin but not yet piercing it.

Ezio looked into her bright eyes, looking for the will to fight, the hatred he had always seen in the eyes of the Templars. But this time, all he could see was anxiety. The woman jerked involuntarily, but Ezio ran the blade over her skin, giving her a sign that he could puncture her artery at any moment.

"Now... Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, Templar," he growled at her.

"Ezio… Ezio Auditore?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again - thank you Marshie for everything!  
> And thank you all for every kudos and every comment. It means a world to me!

A stranger would probably see a helpless woman, attacked by some maniac and degenerate in broad daylight. Ezio must have seen himself, an Assassin and protector, attacking the Templar lurking for his life. And Flora? She saw an outraged man and two ghosts that were going mad. Federico waved his arms as he tried to reason with Ezio, possibly completely forgetting that the man couldn't hear him. Giovanni, on the other hand, tried to soothe a woman whose heart was pounding in her chest like a blacksmith's hammer.

Flora didn't know what to focus on, where to look when the piercing gaze of the man in front of her was as sharp as the blade pressing against the delicate skin of her collarbone. A slight tug would be enough for the blade to sink in to her artery.

"So, you know who I am," growled Ezio, not taking his eyes off her for a second - although her eyes surprised him, not even because of their unusual colour, but because she was looking elsewhere.

"Don't touch him!" she screamed as she saw Federico about to push Ezio away. However, she reacted too late and the ghost flew through the man's body, making Ezio tremble and his blade sliding over her collarbone, dribbling a few drops of blood and tearing a pained groan from her throat. The man looked at her, not understanding where the wave of cold was coming from in his body, but he ignored it, gripping his fingers tighter on her trapped wrists.

"What was that?! What sorcery is this!?" Ezio demanded, ready to get rid of the enemy, but she was more focused on Giovanni, who was shouting directly into her ear. He tried to tell her what she should say to save herself, but he was speaking too fast about things she couldn't understand to be able to use it. The situation became unbearable, the woman was unable to concentrate, and the pain in her arms and collarbone did not make it any easier.

"It doesn't help Giovanni!" she screamed finally, stunning Ezio.

"Giovanni?" he asked incredulously. His iron grip on the woman's wrists loosened, and his mind went blank for a second. But he shook off the shock immediately, ready to dip the blade and get rid of the woman once and for all, but her next words made him feel as if the whole universe had fallen on his head.

"I can see the ghosts of your family. They are here because they cannot find peace," she said quickly. She tried to speak in a clear and calm voice, though you could clearly hear its trembling.

"No ..." Ezio began, "No, that can't be true. Ghosts don't exi–"

"It was the day they took your father and brothers to jail," the woman interrupted him, more confidently this time. She glanced left and stared at the void for a few seconds before she nodded slightly, her gaze focused again on the Assassin in front of her. "You came home in the morning, after a fight with Vieri and a night with Cristina. Your father pretended to be angry but eventually told you that you reminded him of himself when he was your age."

"You have no right to know about it." Ezio was angry this time. How could she know about this? After all, he knew well that there was no one around them then. She had no right... Besides, did she really think that Ezio would believe in a made-up ghost story? It was madness, but what could he expect from a Templar? They believed in the strangest and most impossible things; and apparently, she was exactly the same.

"You don't really think I'd believe all this. You stole my father's belongings, that's how you know what happened back then!"

"On the day of the fight with Vieri, Federico helped you. You raced to the top of the Santa Trinita church tower," she began again, and this time she looked over Ezio's shoulder, frowning slightly.

"Not so fast, it's hard to understand you ..." she muttered, then nodded again.

" _'It is a good life we lead, brother,'_ Federico said at the time. You answered that it was the best. And that may it never change. And Federico added, 'May it never change us.'"

Ezio moved away from her, unable to believe what he was hearing. It couldn't be true, it couldn't! The man couldn't find the strength to believe it, because it would mean that he had failed miserably. That his whole life, that all the choices he had made were wrong. And it was too much for him.

He moved away from the woman, staring at her with disbelief, even disgust, on his face.

How was he to react to it when he felt as if his heart and head were exploding with too much emotion? It wasn't normal, it wasn't possible. The moment Ezio felt like the ground was slipping out from under his feet.

"Don't you dare leave here. Otherwise, I will find you and kill you for sure," he growled, leaving the woman alone. He needed to catch his breath because he felt like he was suffocating.

He left her in that empty alley and walked away, marching quickly towards the river. He wanted to run, driven by the power of his emotions. A real storm broke out inside him, filling his body with rage, sadness, regret and hatred. Why him? Why his family? They were innocent, all of them - his father who fought for the safety of Florence. Federico, who was just an ordinary young man with dreams and the woman he planned to marry. And Petruccio? The most innocent of them all, a sick little boy whose heart was full of love for his family. Each of them hung on a rope like a common and worthless criminal. Each of them left a gaping hole in the hearts of their loved ones. Every day Ezio thought about his family, dearest and beloved, who had been ripped from him in such a cruel and ruthless way.

Ezio changed his whole life by devoting himself to the Brotherhood and the legacy of his own family, hoping this way he would get closer to his father, make him proud. He has devoted himself entirely to revenge, hoping that the spirits and souls of those who had passed would find peace thanks to the treacherous blood that he had shed. But now? The foundations of his whole world crumbled as they did the day that he lost everything. Why would his father and brothers be here? They waited because he didn't kill Rodrigo? Or maybe he just let them down? How could he not have noticed they were nearby? His heart broke into millions of little pieces.

Ezio didn't know what part of town he was suddenly in, but he was alone. So, he sat down on a roof of a ruined building that stood alone near the walls surrounding the city. He hid his face in his hands. He felt a dull, painful peace slowly engulfing him. It didn't bring comfort at all but allowed him to calm his emotions. Only thanks to this could he decide what to do next.

He had to go back to the woman he had left in the alley. To begin with, he would make sure those ghosts she talked about were really his dearest. And then? Then he would do his best to help them find a well-deserved, eternal rest. He owed them this for failing to save them, for having missed the opportunity time and time again to show them how important they were to him.

With that resolve and new strength that blazed inside him like a flame, he got up from the roof and wiped his cheeks, noting in surprise that a few lonely tears had escaped from his eyes. He remembered the last time he cried - it was years ago when it dawned on him that he had lost not only his family but also Cristina, who had refused to flee with him on that fateful night.

Ezio looked around, trying to discover where he was and was shocked to confirm that he was a few kilometres from where he had left the woman. He sighed heavily and adjusted his hood before he started heading back, wondering if the woman was still waiting.

Flora fell to the ground as soon as Ezio disappeared. She took a deep breath, putting her hand to the bleeding collarbone, trying to stop the blood. The cut wasn't very deep, but it was stinging, and a lot of blood had been leaking out, staining the neckline of her dress. She didn't blame Ezio though. People reacted differently when she told them she could see the spirits of their loved ones. She's been hit in the face a few times already. She has already been insulted. Even accused of Witchcraft or Paganism. However, she had never come face to face with someone like Ezio.

She pressed her hand tighter to the collarbone and tilted her head slightly as she looked at the sky, perfectly blue and bright as if she hadn't just shaken the foundations of an innocent man's life.

"You should follow him." She heard Giovanni's disturbed voice. In response, however, she smirked and shook her head, closing her eyes.

"He will come back. They always do."

A few minutes passed. Maybe a dozen, and she was still sitting on the ground, wondering what to do next. Such a life tormented her. She promised herself to try not to draw attention to herself. That this time, her life would be normal. That she would find living friends and gain the love of her own mother who abandoned her out of fear so many years ago. And yet she ended up the same as always. Wounded, surrounded by ghosts and with a sense of guilt that another person suffers because of her. But what else could she do? The ghosts couldn't help themselves; she didn't know anyone else who saw them. Fate decided for her, putting such a burden on her shoulders. And now, whether she wanted it or not, she had to carry it, no matter how much pain it caused.

"Hey. Hey, wake up!" She heard a nervous voice. A moment later, someone shook her slightly by the shoulder.

She opened her eyes to see Ezio's worried gaze before her. She could see the uncertainty in his brown eyes, but to her surprise, there was no disgust or offence.

"I hurt you. I'm sorry," he said softly, and immediately pressed his hand against hers. But she did not feel the warmth of his body and softness of his skin, but the material that the man slipped under her hand. With her free hand, she could see that she was covered in blood

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Just a scratch. You reacted better than the others anyway," she admitted shyly, looking away from the man. She looked at the ghosts who sat silently beside her, looking at the ground.

"I told you he'd come back," she muttered under her breath.

"Can you get up?" Ezio ignored her words and grabbed her by the elbow, helping her to stand on her feet.

Seeing her in the alley, lonely and wounded, he felt remorse that he was so brutal. Though it wasn't the time to confess. He needed to know everything before passing his own sentence on her.

He took a step back and saw the woman bending down to get the book she must have dropped when Ezio suddenly attacked her. However, he elected to remain silent, just offered her his arm and led her away.

Paola's brothel was quite far away, but he had no other place to go. Running on rooftops was out of the question, as was a slow walk through the city, a bloodied woman would cause unwanted attention.

"I'll fetch a horse and take you to a place where we can talk comfortably. Wait a few more minutes, I promise I'll be back as soon as possible" he assured and this time he bowed gallantly, hoping that a little bit of the nightmarish first impression he made on the woman will dissipate.

Fortunately, the stables were nearby, and he returned with a brown horse that could easily support both of them.

"Can you get on it?"

"I'm not made of porcelain. It's really just a scratch. It just... burns and bleeds." she reassured him, giving him a little, bashful smile. Soon they were both in front of the brothel, much to the woman's surprise. Ezio, however, seemed confident and pushed her slightly towards the entrance. Without a word, he wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her through the corridor to the stairs. Flora looked down, feeling her cheeks blush at the sight of half-naked women and men who weren't embarrassed at all. She didn't want anyone to recognize her.

"I need warm water, a dress and a bandage. Maybe wine and something to eat as well."

Flora did not see who he was saying this to, tried not to even look around and obediently followed him to the room on the top floor of the brothel. There, Ezio motioned her to the couch, and a moment later someone knocked on the door. There was a clink of dishes in the room, a short _thank you_ , and then Ezio was sitting in front of her with a bowl of water on his lap.

"I'll clean it and we can talk. You have a lot to tell me, _Signorina_..."

"Flora. My name is Flora."


	4. Chapter 4

"Ouch, ouch, ouch," Flora groaned as Ezio pressed the clean cloth too tightly against her collarbone. She winced as she tried to pull away, but the man held her tight. Only when he was sure that the wound had stopped bleeding did he move away, peering at a red and slightly swollen flesh around the thin but quite deep cut. The hidden blade wasn't a toy, after all.

"I need some proof that you can see my family. Such that I have no doubts," he said after a while, moving the table with food and wine towards them. The woman just glanced at it but took nothing, turning first to the ghosts and then to Ezio.

"What proof do you need? Do you want to ask them something? Should I draw their portraits quickly? I don't think they'll be able to answer all your questions, the memories of those who passed away are tangled and blurry, they remember only some things or even a few moments before their death," she explained calmly.

Then she took the glass of wine Ezio offered to her but didn't bring it to her mouth, just turned it slowly in her fingers.

It was awkward, only a few people were as calm as Ezio, and it made her anxious. She didn't know how to react, didn't know what to expect from him. Will he attack her? Poison? Trap? Kill? Or maybe he will listen to her? So many options and he gave nothing away.  
"Ask him about the Gonfaloniere. He'll understand it," said Giovanni as he approached the couple sitting on the couch. He looked at his son up close, very close, and after a while, he extended his hand as though intending to gently stroke his cheek. This time Flora reacted much faster than before.

"Don't touch him!" she almost screamed, jumping up from the couch, ready to cover Ezio with her own body. Giovanni looked at her in surprise but nodded in understanding as he slowly pulled away. His face was disappointed, but it had to be that way.

"What was that supposed to be? What was that about?" Ezio asked, surprised but also nervous, raising his voice. The woman returned to her seat a moment later, still keeping a close watch on the ghosts.

"Giovanni wanted to touch you..." she muttered.

"Why didn't you let him?! Who are you to decide and order my father around?!" For a moment, Ezio lost his temper again, plunging into anger. It was so hard to control emotions at a moment like this. Ezio had missed his father for years, there wasn't a day when he didn't blame himself for his death, and now that he was so close, couldn't he touch him? Who was this woman to have the nerve to command his father? Who was she to have the nerve to command him?

"Because you've already been touched by a ghost once and look how it ended!" she replied pointing to her wounded collarbone. There was no accusation in her voice, she tried to remain stoic, composed as she was taught.

"It's not a ghost, I just..."

"You just suddenly felt the piercing cold passing through your whole body, which made your hair stand on end. You shuddered and for a moment felt like you were about to die. Yes, Ezio. This is how people feel when a spirit touches them, and when you pressed me to the wall, Federico flew right through you, trying to push you away from me."

Ezio looked up at her in surprise, as if he wanted to say something, but finally gave up. Only after taking a few deep breaths did he manage to regain his temper and calm down again.

"I'm sorry about that. And for hurting you."

"Don't worry. Giovanni asked me to ask about Gonfalonier. He says you'll understand the question." She changed the topic of conversation quickly, she didn't want Ezio to focus on apologizing and feeling guilty. That wasn't important, they had more urgent matters to worry about than apologising for a little scratch and screaming.

Ezio nodded and leaned slightly towards the woman.

"Can they hear me?"

"Yes. They hear and see you. Only you can't hear them, but I'll keep telling you everything."

"Alberto Uberti is dead. I killed him a few weeks after..” A pregnant pause followed, a lump formed in his throat. "After what he did to you. Paola trained me to do it. But that's not all, even though Alberti carried out the sentence, someone else was pulling the strings and now it's him I hunt. His name is Rodrigo Borgia and... he became Pope. But I promise that my sharp ones will run with his blood, I will avenge your death!" he assured eagerly.

Flora looked at the man calmly, though on the inside she was shocked. Pope? Was the man in front of her going to murder the Pope? She must have misunderstood it. For sure.

She shifted her gaze to Federico, who smiled a little and shrugged.

"Some pick flowers and flirt with beautiful girls, others kill popes," he said teasingly, smiling broadly at the woman. Flora still couldn't get over it, Federico was an incredibly handsome young man, taking him from this world was a horrible crime.

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly as if she wanted to smile at the ghost, but something distracted her.

Giovanni.

Red.

His ephemeral shape began to fill with redness again, curling inside him like fire ready to explode at any moment. His face showed a weakly contained rage. He was standing in front of his oblivious son, clenching his fists.

"Ezio, step back towards the doorway," Flora said, again calmly but surely, commandingly. She got up from the couch and this time stood in front of the man, shielding him with her own body. She couldn't let Giovanni explode in the middle of the day, in the middle of a brothel. There were too many people here.

"What's happening?" asked the completely confused assassin, getting up from the couch. He wanted to stand in front of the woman, find out what was going on.

"Do what I said Ezio. Go to the door. If anything happens, get everyone out of the building," she ordered, taking a step towards the ghost. The wine in the glass that had remained untouched by her began to move, and now it was like a rough sea torn by a storm.

"Giovanni, calm down. Now. You must not lose control, do you want your son to see you like this? Do you want to hurt him?" Her voice was soft but firm. She tried to soothe the spirit without offending it. She couldn't let her own emotions blind her at such a moment. Flora had to act quickly, but calmly and methodically.

"The more you let this anger take control of you, the harder it will be for you to calm down. You won't find peace if you let it happen. You won't see your family."

"Family ... My family was destroyed, and that is because of the Borgia!" he shouted, and a crack appeared in the glass. Wine, red as Giovanni started to slowly drip on the table.

"Not yet, Giovanni. If you lose control now, Rodrigo will win and you will lose everything." She walked over to him, so close she could look him straight in the eyes. Crimson still swirled inside him, but it did not extend to the rest of his body. She was on the right track. "If you calm down you will have a chance. I will find a way to get you to the other side, you will reunite with your loved ones and Rodrigo will lose. Just, please... calm down" she asked of him gently, reaching out her hand for him. She felt a familiar, terrible shiver as she brushed the ephemeral body of the man, and finally, his red began to recede, and then he nodded.

Despair and anger were the worst enemies of all spirits.

"Federico, go to my house. I'll meet you there tonight."

Ezio watched the bizarre situation without knowing what was happening. He could see the tension in the woman's body and the way she was covering it. Involuntarily, he felt an unpleasant, bitter feeling inside his chest. The woman shielded him as if he were some defenceless child. He was a man, and even more! He was an Assassin, his task was to defend, fight and cover, not... to be covered.

His handsome face twisted in a grimace as his male pride had been wounded. However, he obeyed the woman's instructions, ready to rescue people in the Bordello at any moment. Eventually, however, hearing the woman dismiss his loved ones, he returned to his seat and only then saw the broken glass and the wine dripping onto the floor. He frowned. He watched her the whole time, never once did she reach the table...

"Sorry about that, it's just... it's... it's complicated. But you shouldn't be talking to your dad about-" She waved her hands chaotically as if she were trying to cover all those topics she didn't understand. Murdering the Pope? Murdering judges? She didn't think she wanted to get involved in this.

"I don't understand this. I don't understand all of this. Why can't my father touch me? Why you are the one seeing them, not me?" he asked accusingly, but did not give her enough time to answer. "Why did you tell them to leave? Who are you anyway? You pretended to be my family. You destroyed my house. You didn't answer my questions, and now you're still trying to order me?"

"No, please. Calm down, I... I'll answer you, just please don't be nervous," she asked gently, sitting down on the couch and slightly raising her hands in surrender. She wasn't here to fight, and Ezio could see she was defenceless.

"Start from the very beginning. Why did you see them and why are they here?" Ezio ordered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Flora had no choice, she had to tell him. However, she would have liked to have a drink before that, and all she could do was stare, longing for a broken glass that was unusable.

"I am not able to answer the question of why your loved ones didn't go to the other side. The ghosts that I've met are usually here when they have some unfinished business or died a very sudden death. However, there are no rules for that. Ghosts usually have a feeling of... isolation. Because despite the fact that they speak, shout and curse, nobody hears them. Therefore, when there is an opportunity that someone sees them, they most often haunt that person, until they get help. So it was with me, I saw you with a woman, surrounded by ghosts.

"When they saw me... I don't know what to say to you. I help ghosts, that's what I do. So when your loved ones saw me, I had to help them. I started with the cemetery, because most often bodies are there, and the easiest way to send the ghosts back is to burn the corpses. The gravedigger told me your loved ones were hanged for treason and their bodies were abandoned. I couldn't find out more, and Giovanni said the answers to what was keeping them here were in your house. That's why I went there at night. I walked through the open window and went to Federico's room. I admit I made a mess, but I was looking for something."

She paused her talk for a moment and reached into her purse. She rummaged in it for a moment, taking out a book and her journal, and then the box he handed to Ezio. The man looked at the necklace, feeling it was familiar. He frowned, his gaze wandering at the unusual shape, and finally, the memories returned. Federico showed it to him at the market, saying that he would soon buy it and give it to the most extraordinary girl. Ezio then laughed, asking if he was talking about their mother. He didn't know Federico would eventually buy it.

"It's the necklace Federico wanted to give to the girl he loved. This is what keeps him here. Camilla needs to get this necklace, she has to make a decision, but I couldn't give it to her."

"You said you were my cousin..."

"Because I will not go up to a stranger saying that the ghost of her deceased lover will not pass through until he gives her the necklace! I thought..." she began, embarrassed, looking at her hands. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "I thought that if I pretended to be Federico's family, she would be more willing to listen to me. But she doesn't want to remember. Maybe if you gave it to her... then she couldn't refuse. She would have made some decision and Federico might have left..."

"If I agree, what will happen?" Ezio asked, still holding the necklace in his fingers. He had a lot of other questions, but for now, he should focus on what he already knew. Finally, he could help. Really help.

"Why can't they stay here? With us?"

"You see... Those who have died no longer belong to this world. I know it's cruel and unfair, but... you know, it's hard to explain. The longer the ghosts are here, the more nervous they get. And such an anxious spirit becomes dangerous. "

"Dangerous? Why would they be dangerous? My father and brother are good people, they wouldn't hurt anyone!" Ezio reacted more emotionally than he wanted to, but he couldn't let anyone offend his family. The woman, however, remained unaffected by his reaction, again. She was too calm and it made Ezio suspicious.

"It's not a question of whether someone was good in life. Anyone, even the best person, will start to get annoyed if he is lonely and ignored long enough. Some ghosts don't even have to be here for long, it's enough that their death was... sudden and emotional. Betrayal leaves the deepest wounds on the spirits." She stopped and took a deep breath. She couldn't explain it to him properly. He was just a simple man, Assassin or not, he was not part of her world, he wouldn't understand anyway. Maybe his reactions were better than usual, but she couldn't trust him with all her knowledge.

"You asked why I destroyed your house. Here is the answer: I didn't. But your father did. He led me to a hidden room, told me to open the chest, which turned out to be empty. He only had time to say that something disappeared from it before he lost control. All the items in the room started to fly around and destroying everything in its path. Not even I made it out unscathed. And it hit one of the guards. Right now, Giovanni balances on the very thin border of sanity, if he loses control again, I might not be able to save his soul. Want more evidence? Here."

Flora reached out to the glass and ran her finger along the rim over the crack. Immediately a whole piece of glass broke off the vessel, spilling the rest of the wine on the table.

"Now it was glass. The next time it could be a wall, a ceiling or... somebody's neck. Your father almost fell into a frenzy despite the fact that you were there. He has no control over it and therefore I have to send them back. As soon as possible. I can't do it alone, so I need your help. Only in this way will your family finally find their well-deserved peace.

"So I am asking you, Ezio, on their behalf, will you help me?"

Ezio looked into her eyes, but this time he could finally notice its colour.

Her eyes were blue but so bright one could think she was blind. At the same time, there was a silent plea in her eyes and something... something that made Ezio feel disturbed. He glanced down, noticing, at last, all the details he had missed before. The woman in front of him was beautiful, but it was hard to notice it after hearing the words she spoke. Ghosts. Was Ezio ready to face the ghosts of those he could not save?

He felt that he had to do it, and only Flora could make it possible for him.

His gaze lingered for a long time on the wound he'd done; thankfully it wasn't bleeding, but the hem of her dress was soiled anyway.

"I will help. My family deserves it. Just tell me what to do and I will do everything."

Flora nodded in response, and Ezio could once again notice that smallest muscle twitch in her face. The smile didn't appear, however.

"For now I have to go home, my mother will be furious if I'm late again and I have to somehow slip into the room without showing stained dress."

Ezio winced slightly at the mention of blood. She must have felt the damp cloth brush against her chest.

"I'll walk you back. But first... why don't you eat something?"

Eventually, Flora let herself be persuaded when her stomach began to rumble softly. Ezio brought a new glass and poured her wine again, this time seeing the woman take a sip. He couldn't help but smile at the sight.

As promised, he walked her home, though he had stopped the horse a few blocks earlier.

"Wait here a moment," he asked, disappearing for a minute or two in the crowd. He came back with a whole bunch of red and white roses. He handed them the woman, smiling at her.

"Watch out, they have spikes."

"But, why...?" Flora asked, genuinely surprised by the gift. They were beautiful, and she couldn't help but stick her little nose between the petals, inhaling the lovely scent.

"To apologise. I shouldn't have attacked you. And every man should greet such a beautiful woman with a bouquet of flowers." Ezio took on his flirty tone and bowed slightly, taking her hand in his and pressing it against his lips. He looked down at her but saw no emotion he expected to see on her face. He couldn't believe that any woman could be immune to his advances and his charm. However... he noticed something like a slight blush. Yes, it must have been light blush!

He led the woman home, putting his arm in hers beforehand. Despite her protests, he knocked on the door, which was opened by a servant, next to whom stood a distinguished woman of sharp beauty. She looked at her daughter, immediately noticing the stain on her dress.

" _Sono mortificato per questo, Madonna*._ I wanted to give Flora flowers, but I didn't think that the roses had thorns and she hurt herself. I regret it very much, Flora, I hope the _passo falso**_ on my part won't make you refuse to meet me again," he said solemnly, bowing gallantly. Flora couldn't help but think that Ezio was a really great actor.

"Ezio Auditore... I didn't expect to see you in Florence. Please come in, have some wine. Time with my daughter had to have been... exhausting." the woman began, offering him to go inside. Ezio, however, had no intention of doing so, he had to meet Machiavelli and tell him everything.

"Thank you for the invitation _Signora_ , but I can't stay. I have a few more things to do, and one look in Flora's eyes took me away from everything," he assured, pretending to be so disappointed that he couldn't stay.

"I would be honoured if you meet me tomorrow at noon," he added, taking Flora's hand again and placing a light kiss on it.

"Flora would love to meet you for a walk, right?"

"Yes, Mother. It will be an honour, _Messer_ Auditore."

* I am mortified

**faux pass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for comments and kudos 💜💜💜 . And my dearest Marshie so being my best reader!


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